We’re back at my parents place in Northern Sweden – a nice little town just south of the arctic circle. In some ways, this is an extreme place. Last time we visited, it was midsummer – the time of the year when the sun hardly ever sets. The counterpoint to that time is midwinter – [...]
Looking back at the sheer number of days we’ve spent on the road, we sometimes feel that we could have squeezed in a few more countries on our itinerary. In a strike to remedy this situation, we crossed over into Finland today. We bought a pair of socks, tried on some shoes and left. [...]
This is me on a Swedish Spark. The word translates to “kick”. It is a little thing that we use to transport ourselves up here in the north of Sweden. It may look weird and archaic (it is), but it is really quite a convenient way of getting around. Speed wise it ranks up there [...]
Our backpacks began as mixed bags of color and white clothes. As time passed, we fazed out the light colors in favor of the dark clothes. This video shows why… We were (are?) seriously dirty. We’ve had our clothes laundered, but more often than not it’s been washed in a local river or using [...]
We flew in from Delhi – dirty and travel worn. In five days, you fed us more pork than we’ve had in the last ten months You reminded us what good beer tastes like. You were kind when I embarrassed the hell out of myself. You helped me figure out where my family came from. And you [...]
I wasn’t a Princess & Prince Charming type of little girl. My interests were more in making up stories about an alien to freak out my little sister (I guess I’ll take this opportunity to tell you, Sheyna, that Glong wasn’t real). Lace, frills and fairytales were for other kids. I was more into creating [...]
We had planned to spend the weekend in Schönau, in a cabin our friends keep as a summer retreat. During my other visits this place has been a lush oasis – the perfect place to relax and unwind for a bit. I guess in my mind, it is always summer in Schönau, and the weather [...]
When traveling in Germany, one is often struck by the fact that all buildings appear to be very new. This is of course because of WWII: most major towns were flattened by Allied airstrikes at the end of the war. The famous university town of Heidelberg is an exception. Allegedly, an US President studied [...]
Things got a little hot and heavy with Bacon and a lady friend a few night ago. I can’t help but be reminded of when Martin and I first met. Just sayin’.
Simple pleasures, such as eating fresh vegetables and unpeeled fruit, were a staple in my life before this trip. Granted, I didn’t usually give them much thought. Why bother being grateful about eating a freshly washed lettuce leaf or unpeeled carrot? It’s no big thing, right? Well, no, actually it’s a privilege. You see, [...]
We were recently asked to participate in a study on how new technology has impacted the backpacking culture. Here are the questions and our answers. If you’re a backpacker and would like to add your input, the researcher (Mr. Cody Paris at Arizona State University) would be grateful for your contribution. Just send your answers [...]
A smart person once said, “Discussing poo makes a bad first impression.” It’s sound logic. A first impression immersed in toilet talk is generally bad for business. Well, today gave me not one opportunity, but two to test that theory. Let me explain – without getting into too much detail, for obvious reasons. This [...]
As I mentioned in my post about my German roots, my ancestors are from Gauersheim, Germany. Yesterday’s trip there revealed it to be a surprisingly well-to-do farming town, complete with a little church and a town cemetery. We searched the gravestones, hoping to find some hint of the past. A Blomeier [...]
I never expected to find myself on a Jewish cemetery in Germany, but today I just did just that. It is a crazy, spooky and beautiful place. Fairly recent tombstones mingle with thousand-year old grave markers, creating a very strange and ambient location. It is of course impossible to visit this cemetery without thinking [...]
There are many things to see and do in this part of Germany: anything from ancient Celtic graves and Roman fortifications to World War II memorials and natural wonders. Today, our focus was the ancient city of Worms. The very beautiful cathedral was one of the standouts. There has been a church in Worms [...]
You know the saying, “to fly by the seat of your pants?” Well, that's been our philosophy for most of our adult lives – before and after meeting, falling in love and marrying. We're now taking that idea on an extended round-the-world trip. Follow us as we share the good, the bad and the downright nasty of life on the road.
